Monday, February 7, 2005
Parthenios, Bishop of Lampsakos
Kellia: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 1:21-2:11 Epistle: James 2:14-26 Gospel: St. Mark 10:46-52
St. Mark 10:46-52, especially vs. 46: "...As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great
multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging." Beloved of the Lord, like Bartimaeus of
Jericho, we are all blind beggars. Who among us is not working in a place that he believes will be most propitious in life?
After all, each one of us found our way to what seemed a potentially good method for coping with life's demands. We did
so to garner from the passing traffic what we thought we needed to survive. Some of us found very comfortable,
productive places along life's roadway; for others, our spots have not proven so ideal. The son of Timaeus was used to
working the Jerusalem roadway, especially during those special seasons when it was crowded with pilgrims - seasons like
Passover.
Bartimaeus was blind. According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemos, he was blind from birth, although none of the
canonical Gospels mention this fact. No matter, without social services, which was the case during the first century, he
depended entirely on begging to earn his living, for blindness had narrowed his available options. Which of us, like this
man, can say that we see clearly all that is coming toward us in life? We do the best we can, discerning what is likely,
learning to survive where we are, using what we have, and "making do" with what we hear. But there is a whole realm or
dimension of life that we miss much of the time, the things of the Spirit and of Divine truth. To much in that all-important
realm we are quite blind.
Like many who are blind, Bartimaeus' other senses were finely tuned to changes occurring around him in life. He not only
sensed that a greater than usual pilgrim crowd was passing, but he "heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth" Who was in the
center, and was the cause of this large group moving past him (vs. 47). As a beggar, he had no shame in calling out to
Jesus. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain (vss 47,48). Let us, likewise, learn to assert ourselves toward the
Savior, to cry out to our Lord Jesus and compassionate God. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain! As each of us
knows, Christ is renown for His lovingkindness, for His healing, and for hearing even the faintest cries of the poor and
needy that others ignore. By all means, let us cry out to Him in faith and longing.
Let us also notice the interaction between Bartimaeus and the Lord. Our cries to the Lord Jesus are apt to cause Him to
"stand still" and command us into His presence (vs. 49). Let us not pray mindlessly, but out of a genuine need for healing.
(And who of Adam's kin does not need healing from sin's blight on his life?) And let us also "be of good cheer," knowing
that "He is calling [us]" (vs. 49). We can freely cast off the layers of personal protection. For a first-century beggar, it was
his "himation," an upper covering or mantle for protection against weather and sun (vs. 50). For us it might be pride, the
desire "to look good" to others, spending money, or fears.
Observe: when the son of Timaeus came before the Lord, His Creator asked him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
(vs. 51). What, indeed! It was simple for the blind man - his sight! Let us be as straightforward: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son
of David, have mercy upon me a sinner, a blind, beggar before Thee," for Jesus healed Bartimaeus' physical and spiritual
sight.
Let us come trusting in the same Lord, yearning to receive His healing for all our blindnesses. The power of the Lord is
extraordinary. He is able to transform beggars into disciples (vs. 52), the disabled into those able to make the hard, uphill
climb to Jerusalem and the Cross. Yes even we, mired down as we are in darkness and in need, can be transformed.
O Christ our God, Who didst lighten the eyes of the beggar Bartimaeus, lighten Thou our souls's eyes, and reveal us as
sons of the day, that we may cry out to Thee in faith!